Albert Morrison Jr. honored at event and through new scholarship.

Albert Morrison Jr., founder of the accounting firm Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra and its chairman beginning in 1971, was always a good friend to Florida International University (FIU) and its College of Business Administration, particularly the School of Accounting.

After he passed away on December 31, 2009, some of those whose lives he had touched began what would become Albert Morrison Jr. Scholarship Endowment. The fund will support students in the School of Accounting through the Albert Morrison Jr. Memorial Scholarship.

Approximately 100 guests gathered at the College of Business Complex this past winter to celebrate Morrison’s life. Welcomed by Executive Dean Joyce J. Elam, they heard her reminiscences, along with those from Howard R. Lipman, senior vice president for university advancement and executive director of the FIU Foundation; Tony Argiz (BBA ’74), CEO and managing partner, Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP; and Theodore Spak, emeritus director, FIU Foundation.

tn_Morrison_Display — A celebration of the life of Albert Morrison Jr. took place at the College of Business Complex.

The fund began with a gift from Spak, which he requested be used to honor Morrison. His donations, combined with those from nearly 50 others, including one from Argiz, resulted in the new endowment. Patrick Noel, a senior majoring in accounting was the first recipient of the scholarship.

“The scholarship was a huge honor for me, because it was only awarded to one undergraduate, so I was deeply humbled and honored,” he said. “Attending the memorial gave me such insight on who Albert Morrison was as an individual, and it further increased my appreciation in receiving the award.”

tn_Morrison_WithJoyceShekarAndPatrick — Joyce J. Elam, executive dean; Krishnamurthy Surysekar, the first Morrison, Brown, Argiz, & Farra, LLP Professor in the School of Accounting; Patrick Noel, the first recipient of the Albert Morrison Jr. Memorial Scholarship; and Joan Morrison

Morrison family is grateful for the generosity of friends, preservation of the relationship with FIU.

Morrison’s widow, Joan, the couple’s three children and several of their grandchildren attended the event.

“It was a day my family will never forget,” she said. “It was beautifully done. And I am very happy to know that our relationship with FIU will continue through this scholarship.”